Press Releases

Congressman Adam Smith issued the following statement in response to the decision of Hanford Site tank farms contractor Washington River Protection Solutions to cut back on operations. This action follows a July 11, 2016 Atomic Metal Trades Council stop work order for all Hanford waste storage tank farms unless workers are supplied with air respirators to protect them from toxic vapors:

July28,2016

“I remain concerned about the source of the tank vapor problems at the Hanford Nuclear site, and the need to implement a permanent solution that will protect Hanford workers. This has been an on-going issue that has sickened dozens of workers and must be more decisively resolved in order to protect worker health and safety.

“As Ranking Member of the House Armed Services Committee, I remain committed to ensuring a rigorous, safe clean-up at Hanford and I will continue to fight to ensure that during this process the health of all workers is a priority.”

Washington D.C. – Congressman Adam Smith released the following statement in response to the passage of the Separation of Powers Restoration Act:

July13,2016

“Congress has the very serious responsibility of addressing the challenges our country faces with rational policy solutions. We are tasked with the duty of developing legislation that creates broad-based opportunities for all, grows our economy, and keeps our country strong and forward-looking, while making government work better for everyone.

“Unfortunately, House Republican leadership chose to spend large portions of Monday and Tuesday of this week debating and voting on the deceptively named Separation of Powers Restoration Act of 2016, H.R. 4768. While H.R. 4768 claims to restore the separation of powers, it in fact subverts it by forcing the judicial system to wade into the executive rule-making process. H.R. 4768 would undo decades of judicial precedent established by the Supreme Court, where courts defer to the expertise of government agencies when reviewing challenges to Federal Agency actions. The legislation would open up all agency actions and rules to challenges that could make the rule-making process exceptionally lengthy and render it ineffective, while overly-burdening government agencies with unnecessary record keeping and data recording. Instead of ensuring taxpayer dollars are spent in the most efficient and effective manner, the bill would vastly increase the cost to the taxpayer of agency rule-making. Additionally, the bill will have the adverse effect of trapping critical consumer protections in a web of judicial reviews that would make passage of an agency rule almost impossible.

“The historical practice of courts deferring to agency expertise was established for good reason, and has been proven effective. Rather than wasting time on pushing through an unnecessary solution in search of a problem, I encourage my Republican colleagues to instead focus on improving the lives of Americans.”

July8,2016

“This week our nation has experienced immeasurable heartbreak. My deepest sympathies are with every family and community that has been touched by violence over the past few days. As we move forward, there are many difficult questions and issues that must be addressed as those whose lives have been torn apart begin to heal.”

“As a country, it is imperative that we come together to address the violence that devastates countless families. We must continue to support efforts to end the senseless violence fueled by hatred that has become a far too frequent pattern in cities throughout America.”

Washington, DC- Today, Congressman Adam Smith (D-WA), the Ranking Member of the House Armed Services Committee, issued the following statement regarding the Defense Department’s newly announced policy on transgender servicemembers:

June30,2016

“This policy is an important step toward ensuring that our military is strong and inclusive. It will protect the rights of transgender individuals who already serve in the U.S. armed forces, with minimal impact on the operations of the Department of Defense.

“These changes will involve a very small number of individuals serving in the armed forces, on the order of 0.1 percent of the approximate total of two million active and reserve members in the U.S military. The evidence indicates that modernizing our policy in this way will not meaningfully reduce readiness. In fact, according to research by the RAND Corporation and retired flag officers, it should enhance readiness by enabling commanders to better provide for the needs of the men and women they lead. Similar policies have already been adopted by U.S. allies such as Israel, Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom.

“By providing clarity for the service branches and removing an obsolete policy that has made it more difficult for our men and women in uniform to do their jobs, this policy will strengthen, not reduce, the military’s ability to defend the United States.”

In June 2016, Congressman Smith wrote a letter to Secretary of Defense Ash Carter in support of the decision to repeal the Department of Defense’s (DOD) outdated policy prohibiting transgender individuals from openly serving in the military and urged the expeditious implementation of this policy change. Ending the ban on ?transgender individuals serving in our military will allow the armed forces to better realize the full potential of all service members and make our nation safer and stronger. Read the full letter here: https://goo.gl/KnhJRL

Washington D.C. – Congressman Adam Smith joined Acting Under Secretary Szubin of the Treasury Department in Seattle today for a conversation with local stakeholders, community leaders, organizations, and money transfer operators to discuss the important role that remittances play for Somalia and the Philippines and efforts to facilitate remittances through legitimate and transparent channels.

June27,2016

In recognition of these important issues, Congressman Smith cosponsored the Money Remittances Improvement Act of 2014 which was signed into law by the President on August 8, 2014, and has met with numerous government officials in attempts to find ways to continue U.S. remittances to Somalia. Congressman Smith continues to call for the U.S. government to take steps to cooperate with and support Somalia and its people whenever possible. Congressman Smith remains ready to help in any way he can.

Acting Under Secretary Szubin was nominated by the White House to serve as Treasury’s Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence on April 20, 2015. This position leads the Treasury Department’s policy, enforcement, regulatory, and intelligence functions aimed at identifying and disrupting the lines of financial support to international terrorist organizations, proliferators of weapons of mass destruction, narcotics traffickers, and other actors posing a threat to our national security or foreign policy. The Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence is also responsible for overseeing the Department’s efforts to combat money laundering and financial crimes.

“Today’s community conversation and engagement provided a powerful platform to reiterate our earlier calls for the processing of remittances. As a vital component of the Somali economy, remittances help many families pay for every day necessities such as food, medicine, education, as well as help expand economic and business opportunities in Somalia,” said Congressman Smith. “We need to make it easier for residents of the 9th District and Somali-Americans everywhere to send money back to their families in Somalia. Having Acting U/S Szubin here in Seattle shows the Treasury Department’s commitment to our efforts.”

“Treasury is working to ensure that remittance flows are transparent, safe, and strong, and recognizes the importance of remittances from the United States reaching loved ones abroad,” said Adam J. Szubin, Acting Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence at the U.S. Department of the Treasury. “Challenges remain, but we are encouraged by the continued robust flows of remittances and by the progress that's being made in increasing transparency and oversight. I am further encouraged by the thoughtful dialogue that I have had with Congressman Adam Smith, his constituents, money transmitters, and local banks on this important issue. We look forward to working with Congressman Smith and other members of Congress in the weeks and months ahead.”

Congressman Smith and Acting Under Secretary Szubin will continue to support efforts to build a strong Somalia, with a sustainable and well-regulated and supervised financial system in Somalia, and support its people whenever possible.